Dementia friendly charter sign-up at Morecambe Bay hospitals

University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT) has signalled its commitment to people with dementia by joining the Dementia Action Alliances’ Dementia-Friendly Hospital Charter.

The Trust submitted an action plan covering six key principles: staffing, partnership, assessments, care, environment and governance, which a person with dementia or their carer would expect.

The charter shows the Trust’s commitment to dementia care.

The Trust highlighted the following areas which it is currently delivering:

*Dementia Champion Training days in partnership with local care home staff (there are 160 dementia champions on the Trust’s three main hospital sites)

*Flexible visiting for family and carers through John’s Campaign

*A comprehensive geriatric assessment for unplanned admissions

*Memory boxes on all surgical and medical wards

*Dementia friendly picture signage and flooring on wards around the Trust

*Feedback questionnaires for carers where they can rate care and

experience.

In 2012 the Dementia Action Alliance launched the Right Care: a call to action to create dementia-friendly hospitals. All acute trusts in England were asked to make a public commitment to being dementia friendly.